The Olympian Scholarship pays the entire tuition fee of the Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Management and Technology at AISTS in Lausanne. It is open only to athletes who have competed at the Olympic Games or the Olympic Winter Games at least once.
AISTS is a not-for-profit association founded in 2000 by the International Olympic Committee together with EPFL, the University of Lausanne, the University of Geneva, IMD, EHL, the City of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud. EPFL, the University of Lausanne and the University of Geneva co-sign the degree. The master runs 15 months full-time: an academic phase in Lausanne from late September to early May, then applied projects and professional experience through to December.
AISTS launched the award in May 2025 and gave the first one to Abeer Essawy, an Egyptian taekwondo athlete from the 2004 Athens Games. The current round funds the 2027-2028 edition and closes on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET.
Benefits & funding
- The entire tuition fee of the master, listed at CHF 31,900 for the 2027 intake; the first round covered the CHF 29,900 fee of the 2025-2026 edition.
- The award attaches to one edition of the 15-month programme in Lausanne.
- Living costs stay with the recipient. AISTS puts them at about CHF 2,400 to CHF 3,200 a month in Lausanne, rent included.
- Health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland and is not part of the award.
- Programme rule for every admitted candidate: a non-refundable deposit within 15 days of the acceptance letter, deducted from the tuition fee: CHF 1,500 for applications in by 30 November 2026, CHF 3,000 after.
Eligibility
- Participation in the Olympic Games or the Olympic Winter Games at least once.
- A complete application to the master comes first; the scholarship is assessed on top of it.
- Academic route one: a Master degree recognised by EPFL.
- Academic route two: a Bachelor degree recognised by EPFL plus at least five years of work experience in any industry.
- Academic route three: a Bachelor degree recognised by EPFL plus at least five years of combined relevant experience in sport, athlete years included.
- English, tested within the past 12 months: TOEFL 550 paper, 213 computer or 85 internet with at least 20 per section; IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5; or Duolingo English Test 110.
- No nationality, residency, gender or age requirement is published.
- Candidates must be able to cover their living costs in Lausanne.
Can you apply?
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Application process
- 1Fill in the “Am I eligible?” form on the AISTS site; a link to the full application arrives by email once the academic route checks out.
- 2Submit the master application with a passport photograph, a passport copy, a two to three page motivation letter, a CV, two recommendation letters (one academic, one professional), certified degrees and transcripts, and an English test result from the past 12 months.
- 3Write a separate motivation letter for the scholarship. It must cover the key problems facing sport today, the role olympians play in society, the reasons for taking the AISTS master, the plan after graduation, and what makes the candidate the best one for the award.
- 4Attach proof of Olympic participation: an extract of official results, a letter of confirmation from a National Olympic Committee or an International Federation, or an Olympian certificate.
- 5Finish the application, scholarship documents included, before the published scholarship deadline. The same page routes the files for the other two AISTS scholarships to admissions@aists.org.
- 6Expect a decision on the programme application within about three weeks of a complete file.
Program timeline
30 June 2025
deadline of the first round, for the 2025-2026 edition.
30 November 2025, 23.59 Swiss time
deadline of the round for the 2026-2027 edition.
Late September 2026
the academic phase of the 2026-2027 edition starts in Lausanne.
30 November 2026, 23:59 CET
deadline of the current round, for the 2027-2028 edition.
the academic phase ends and the applied projects and professional experience phase begins.
Early May 2027
the edition ends.
December 2027